Be My Valentine
by darxo
Summary: Love. Everyone searches for it, everyone experiences it. But sometimes, you can love too much. There is a killer on the loose in Hogwarts, and he's after Hermione... Warning; Violence, and possible sex or rape in future chapters so heed rating
1. Default Chapter

**Be My Valentine**

**Chapter 1: My Bloody Valentine**

**By Darxo**

A silent tear trickled down his cheek. It was unusual for a Slytherin like Thomas Muskett to cry over a Gryffindor muggle-born, she was also the same girl who broke his heart back in third year….

* * *

It was 14th February; Valentines Day, and he had finally mustered enough courage go and ask her to be his valentine. He went to the library, when he saw her. She was sitting reading a book. He could only see the back of her head but he knew how beautiful she was, the way her gorgeous-brown locks fell down her back and the way her head moved slightly when she started a new line. Now was the time to ask her and give her his handmade card.

"H-hello" he greeted nervously,

"What!" she gasped in surprise

"I-I'm sorry it's just… I was wondering ….would you like to be my valentine?" and he held out the card to her. Her eyes flashed down to the pink decorated cover and back up to him.

"Oh…" she gasped, "well you see...ere.. I'm not ready to be thinking about boys right now….sorry."

"Oh..."

And that was when his heart shattered and he walked away, tears trickling down his cheeks, out of that library with a mixture of emotions. Pain, confusion... and rage.

* * *

"How could she do that to me!" he cried punching the wall, not realising how hard until he noticed the blood covering his knuckles. He used a spell to clean them up and then went outside for a walk.

He decided to take a stroll down by the lake. It was quite around this time and the peace allowed him to think. He ambled around a corner when he saw _her._ She was seated on a flat rock overlooking the lake… with a BOY. He watched as the boy's body leaned towards hers, their forms merely silhouettes in the dying sun as they became locked in a kiss.

The giant octopus that occupied the lake chose that moment to make itself known, its long swirls of tentacle blacking out of the sun, and allowing him to identify the other half of the embrace.

Harry Potter.

Fury boiled up inside of him, drowning his gaze with a thick fog of red as he watched them.

'_How can she turn me down and say that she was not old enough and here she is kissing Potter!'_

He walked away with a broken heart once again, but this time with a firm resolve to make the passionate couple behind him pay. He smirked as a plan concocted itself in his mind.

"I will have my revenge."

* * *

"Hermione. Meet me at the lake at 8:30. Harry." Hermione read aloud within the boundaries of the girls' dormitories.

'_Why would Harry want to meet me now?'_ Hermione wondered. They had departed just half and hour ago, after agreeing that the equally large mounds of homework in their dormitories were in desperate need of attention.

She glanced at her watch; 8:00; she had 20 minutes before she'd need to start for the lake. She decided that she wasn't going to be allowed the time to attend to her growing pile of homework tonight, so she used the time to begin her assigned essay on grugolls.

_Grugolls are very rare and enchanted creatures. Although very beautiful, grugolls can be extremely hostile and dangerous, and may not be approached without the necessary precautions._

_The grugoll prefers dark places, and is usually found in forests or areas surrounded by trees. It has a very acute sense of smell, and may change its form at will to hide from threats, although the object or creature must be within eyeshot for it to transform. Once the assumed threat enters the grugolls surrounding area it will spurt an extremely lethal and poisonous acid from its body, and then devour the unfortunate victim's burnt and melted corpse…._

Hermione stopped to flex her now aching wrist, and glanced at her watch.

"8:25 I'll be late!" she grabbed her cloak and ran the way to the lake, manoeuvring through groups of startled students on her way.

Cool crisp air greeted her as she left the castle. She paused to savour the fresh night, before hastily making her way to the lake. She saw him sitting down and looking at the hypnotic motion of the swirls of tentacle brake through the surface and dance in the air before recoiling into the dark depths of the lake once more.

"Hey, sorry I'm late" she said coming behind him. "So, what do you want?" she asked, taking her seat besides him on the rock. She gazed at the moon's reflection on the rippling water, when she felt a hand gently clasp her shoulder. She turned her head, when his lips caught hers in a deep and loving kiss. She hesitated before returning the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck, her fingers playing with his thick black tresses.

When they broke apart, she was gasping for air. She noticed Harry's hand delve into his robe, before pulling out a delicate gold bracelet. He fastened it around her slender wrist, the cool metal tickling her skin. She inspected the jewellery around her wrist in awe, when his hand touched the bottom of her chin and pulled her head up to face him. She looked back at his wondrous green orbs, drowning in their beauty.

"Will you be my girlfriend," he whispered. She watched his lips form the words and smiled, bringing her eyes back up to meet his.

"Of course I will." she replied, leaning in for another kiss.

* * *

In the Great Hall the next day, Dumbledore made a speech.

"I would like to announce the Valentine ball," he paused and awaited silence, until the excited murmurings had died down. "The ball is for fifth years and upwards, there will also be a talent show for fourth years and under, now let the feast begin!" The Hall was immediately filled with cheered, and the tables were filled with mountains of food.

Ron typically began stuffing his face with several sandwiches, while Hermione discussed their attire with Harry, who paid her his full attention although it was obvious he couldn't care less. Boys will be boys, she thought. They made their arrangements on where they would meet and of the upcoming trip to Hogsmeade.

Thomas watched in disgust from the Slytherin table.

"Hey Tom, who are you going to ask to take to the ball?" Draco Malfoy cut through his thoughts.

"Oh…ere…I don't know yet." Thomas replied hastily. "Who are you taking?"

"Well I'm sick of Pansy so I'm going to take Danielle fowler." Draco explained, with a smirk on his face. Thomas couldn't care less. Draco and his two cronies; Crabbe and Goyle, soon departed and went about terrorizing the other students. Thomas looked over at the Gryffindor table, frowning as he saw Hermione hug Harry before the two left hand in hand through the doors of the Great Hall.

"You will pay," he vowed silently, before leaving the table to join Draco. The food was left untouched.

* * *

It was the night of the Valentine ball, and Hermione and Ginny were helping each other getting ready. Ginny was going with Jason Ligwit from Ravenclaw. Hermione reappeared from the girls' dormitory, swirling and allowing Ginny to admire her clothing. A pink, sleeveless dress with glittery pink hangings adorned her body. Her hair was tied back in a plaited bun, several diamond studded hair clips decorating her hair. She stopped and smiled as Ginny gave her a slight applause, and inspected her friend's clothing. Ginny was wearing a midnight blue dress witch hung of her shoulders. She had used a spell to make her hair curly, and it fell gracefully to her shoulders.

They exited their dormitory to find Jason waiting for Ginny at the bottom of the stairs. He'd obviously lost patience when waiting, and had fallen down the now sloped stairs when trying to enter.

"Well see you Hermione!" Ginny waved to her friend, taking Jason's hand and departing through the Gryffindor portrait. Hermione waved and returned to her dormitory to touch up her makeup before meeting with Harry outside the Great Hall.

When she arrived their appointed meeting place, Harry was no where to be seen. She brushed off her worry, and went inside to sit with Ron and Lavender.

"Hey Ron, where's Harry?" she asked sitting down, masking the worry from her voice.

"I don't know. Last time I saw him was in the common room and he left before me." Ron explained. Lavender was obviously irritated and left in a huff to the dance floor, joining hands with the boy who'd been eyeing her. Ron paid her an annoyed look, before shrugging his shoulders.

"Ron I'm going to find Harry, you'll be okay here?" she didn't wait for his answer and left through the huge doors to begin her search for Harry.

'_Were is he?_' she wondered to herself after returning to the dormitories to find them empty. She continued her search in the corridors. She turned a corner to find a corridor she'd never seen before. The candles had been doused and there were no windows... or even portraits on the walls. She pulled her wand out from the strap around her leg, which she'd hidden beneath her dress. After the last few years she was sensible enough to know to carry it around with her at all times.

"Lumos," she whispered, watching the darkness recoil from the glowing ball of light growing from the tip of her wand.

She'd been walking down the seemingly endless corridor when a huddled form on the floor caught her eye. She screamed as she approached it.

There right in front of her, was a body. A horrendously large nail was impaling his chest and into the floor beneath his body.

It was Harry.

She crumpled to the floor besides his body, tears splattering his horror struck face as she hugged his head to her chest. Her wand fell from her hand, the glowing tip lighting up the wall opposite, the blood painted words glaring at her.

_BE MY VALENTINE_

She grabbed her mouth to muffle the scream that tore from her throat. She looked back at the cradled head in her arms, leaning down to kiss his lifeless lips.

* * *

Thomas slammed the shut door shut behind him as he entered the prefects' bathroom. Blood smeared the handle, and he looked down at his bloodied hands. With a sick rush the enormity and horror of what he had just done flooded his system. His legs gave way and he fell to the tiled floor, a hysteria of sobs wracking his body.

The news of the schools loss hit the school hard. The Great Hall was filled with anguished tears and sobs, but none was affected more than Ron and Hermione.

A tear rolled down Ron's cheek, he made a swipe for it when felt a hand on his shoulder. He raised his head to see Hermione, her cheeks wet and red, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She forced a smile which misshaped her lips unnaturally as it contrasted with the turmoil shown in her eyes.

"You know, you can cry if you want" she said, her voice quiet. Tears began to once more spill from her eyes.

"There is a _killer_ in this school" Ron said, his fists clenching in pent up fury. Hermione turned and ran from the Hall, hands covering her eyes as she tried to stop the flow of tears. Ron got up and followed her.

"Hermione!" he called but she didn't stop. "HERMIONE!" She stopped, her back to him. Ron ran up to her side when Hermione turned suddenly, her arms wrapping around him as she wept on his shoulder.

"Who… c-could d-do s-such a th-thing" she said between sobs.

"I don't know," he said, rubbing her back reassuringly. "But we will find out, don't worry."

* * *

Thomas walked into the Slytherin common room, stress and worry etched onto his features, and evident in his pace. Thoughts raced through his mind. '_What if Dumbledore finds out? I might get sent to Azkaban!'_

Draco Malfoy chose that instance to enter the common room, finding Thomas sprawled out on the sofa, head in his hands.

"I don't want to go to Azkaban, I don't want to go…" he was mumbling.

"What the hell is wrong with _you?"_ Draco asked contemptibly.

"Huh? Oh …ere ….I got to go" Draco gave him a cold calculating look, but Thomas ignored his steely gaze and hastily left the room. Draco looked after him, arching a brow.

"Always thought he was nuts…" He sat down on a big leather arm chair. A smirk crept onto his face.

"Ha! The great almighty Potter is dead! It's about time, he was really getting on my nerves." His smirk grew.

"I can't wait to see the mud-blood's face."

* * *

Hermione was sitting on her bed in the girls' dormitory, tears forming thin trails down her cheeks.

"Hermione?" Lavender had obviously just entered.

"Get Out." she mumbled. She didn't require anyone's pity.

"But Hermione, I… I brought you some food." Lavender replied, edging closer to give Hermione the tray of food. Hermione sighed.

"Please… just leave me alone."

"But Hermione-"

"GET OUT!" she screeched. Lavender flinched and shot from the room. Hermione sighed and watched her departure.

"I wish you were here Harry."

* * *

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Thomas berated himself as he entered the library. "Now Draco's going to suspect something" he began banging his head against a bookcase. His head turned to look at an empty table. _'That's when it happened, that's were all this was caused._' He walked over to the table and a frowned as he read the engraved lettering marking the shiny surface.

_I_

_LOVE_

_RON_

_By Hermione Granger-2000_

"So that's why she turned me down three years ago, she fancied Weasley!" The familiar red fog seeped in and clouded his vision. Blood began to pound in his temples. Before he knew what he was doing, he conjured a knife and slashed at the words. _'Well, I will sort that out.' _he thought, turning and marching out of the library, knife clutched in his hand.

* * *

Ron walked aimlessly down the corridors, thoughts of Harry plaguing his mind. A head of dark chestnut hair caught his eye. Thomas Muskett, from Slytherin was marching towards him, his eyes were murderous and his face flushed in fury. Something glinted just below his field of vision. He looked down and his eyes caught the knife. He yelped and spun around, sprinting back down the corridor. He heard feet slapping the floor behind him as Thomas gained.

A sharp pain in his shoulder blade stopped him in his tracks. His vision deteriorated into blackness, and he hit the floor.

* * *

Ron groaned and forced open his eyes. His shoulder felt frozen and numb. He raised his arm, the mere action causing his vision to swim. He reached behind his head, checking for injuries when he felt something sticky drench his fingers. He shakily brought back his hand in front of his eyes, his breathing becoming hysteric as he saw the crimson liquid covering his hand. He pulled himself up off the floor, too quick. He fell back down with a thump, his vision blacking out for a moment.

He suddenly became aware of the distinct gentle thud of footsteps ascending on him from behind. A shadow fell upon his form and he looked up to find the enraged face of Thomas Muskett above him. He tried to speak but the only sound that escaped his throat was a strained moan. Suddenly Thomas sent a kick to his side. Ron tried to scream but the breath was knocked out of him. Another foot was sent to his back, and yet another to his shoulder, the pain there intense. Ron found he could do nothing but take the ongoing agony, relieved when everything went black.

* * *

Hermione found herself unable to stop the images of Harry's dead body flashing in her mind. She'd not slept a wink last night; the nightmares she knew would come were too unbearable to witness. Dumbledore had suggested she take the next few weeks off, but Hermione had insisted saying that she just wanted everything to return to normal. Of course, it was extremely difficult when the smirking face of Draco Malfoy appeared in front of her.

"So Mud-blood, I guess it's just you and Weasel seen as though Potty's _dead."_ Crabbe and Goyle guffawed from either side of him. "I also heard that you and Potty were in love, ohhhhhh!" and with that he walked away to join his fellow slytherins, who were snickering outside their potions class. A tear slid silently down Hermione's cheek, but she soon wiped it away, _'I won't give Malfoy the satisfaction'_

* * *

Thomas stumbled back from the bloody heap on the floor. He'd dragged the body from the corridor, and was now locked in some old potions class somewhere.

"Oh my god…" he whispered, not believing what he had just done. He looked down at his body to find he was drenched with blood. Sudden giggling from outside caught his attention.

"Hey I've never seen this class before!" one of them said. "Come on! Lets go in!" The door knob started to turn. Thomas looked around the floor franticly, spotting a broken chair away from him, one of the legs had been broken off and now lay on the floor. He grabbed it and ran behind the door as it opened, raising it behind his head and preparing to strike.

The door opened, and a girl with amber hair gingerly walked into the room. Thomas lashed out with the wooden chair leg, smashing it into her skull. The girl immediately dropped to the floor and fell over the dead body of Weasly.

Another scream broke through the silence. He swirled round and caught the retreating girl by her arm, pulling her back and muffling her screams with his hand.

"Shut up!" he snarled, dragging her flailing body back into the classroom. He threw her to the floor, and slammed the door shut behind them. The girl screamed as she saw the two dead bodies besides her. Thomas snapped and brought the chair leg down on her head over and over.

"SHUT UP!" he yelled when she continued to scream, smacking her harder and harder over her head. He continued to beat her, until he stopped, exhausted, and looked at the now silent and bloodied pulp below him. He heard a moan from behind him, and realised that the amber haired girl wasn't dead after all.

He bent down and calmly picked up the knife he'd dropped earlier when dragging in the Weasly's body. A scream ripped itself from the girls throat as he turned on her, and rammed the knife into her forehead.

* * *

**A/N: I know; very gory at the end. Special thanks to my sister LoveOfVegeta; the best beta-reader in the world! Please review and tell me what u think.**

**darxo**


	2. A Crimson Trail

**Chapter 2: A Crimson Trail**

**By Darxo**

* * *

Hermione made her way up the moving stairways, reflexively stepping over the trap step and proceeding to the Gryffindor common room. The fat lady who occupied the portrait was snoring loudly when she arrived. Hermione cleared her throat loudly, causing the irritable woman to start awake.

"What on earth are you doing out, young lady? It's past eleven o' clock!" she asked in a surly voice, sticking her chin up snobbishly.

"Toad Trotter," Hermione stated impatiently, ignoring the obese woman's comment. The woman 'humphed' and stuck her chin up further, revealing her bulging double chin.

"I am going to change that password, I have you know. I don't know _who_ came up with it!" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Are you going to let me in or what!" she snapped. The lady gave a snort and the portrait was flung open. Hermione entered the common room, only slightly surprised when she found it to be empty. Everyone was probably in bed. She was about to climb the stairs to her dormitory, when a pink envelope on the desk by the fireplace caught her attention. She padded over to it, blinking as she read the name scribbled in red writing on the front;

'_Hermione'_

Hermione frowned and touched the front of the pink envelope with her fingertips. The writing immediately vanished, leaving it blank. She carefully picked up the envelope between her forefinger and thumb, treating it as she would howler. She examined the still blank front. She turned it around, finding the envelope was sealed with a peculiar wax stamp in the shape of a heart. She touched the seal, when the seal was suddenly torn open and the envelope blazed a dark pink in her hand. She yelped and jumped back from the card which, instead of falling to the floor, remained drifting in the air.

The envelope shook mid air, before exploding in a burst of crimson coloured rose petals, all floating gently in the air. She let out a short gasp when the petals suddenly formed a trail in the air, leading out of the room, and disappearing through the portrait. Hermione eyed the trail curiously, dropping her bag to the floor and pulling out her wand from her robes.

She followed the crimson trail, the petals she passed caressing her cheek as she went by, the end of the trail recoiling further up as she followed. She exited through the portrait, thankful that the fat lady was sound asleep and once again snoring loudly. She looked ahead to find the trail had stretched further down the corridors to the stairway. She followed, stepping down the stairs entranced by the gracefully floating petals. She caught herself just before she stepped the trick step, and proceeded further, following the ever growing trail.

She was led further down, into the dungeons. She walked further, finding herself being led into an unfamiliar corridor. She delved further into the darkness of the corridor, her steps although gentle cut through the thick silence like knives. She looked ahead to see the trail of petals shifting through a door up ahead, disappearing behind the thick wood as though merely spirits. She followed and opened the heavy door, the hinges shrieking as she pushed it open. The trail had stopped, the petals now hovering in a swarm in the air. Her eyes caught the huddled heap sprawled out on the cold stone floor, bathing in a pool of dark blood. A choked sob erupted from her mouth as she identified the lifeless mass. The petals buzzed in disarray around him like bluebottles, before moving in some sort of order and forming three crimson words above the corpse of Ron.

'_Be My Valentine'_

As soon as she read the words the petals fell and disappeared into the pool of blood. The scream that had been building up was finally released from her agape mouth. She backed away from the body when suddenly she hit something. She spun round, wand clutched in hand and poised to strike, only to face the startled and enraged face of Filch, the janitor. She began to tremble, trying to spit out an explanation but finding the words coming out in an incoherent jumble. Filch looked behind her, his beady eyes falling upon Ron's lifeless form. He turned his gaze back to her, and a sudden horrible smirk stretched the contours of his face.

"What do we have here than?" he rasped, Mrs Norris; his cat, poking her head out from behind his bent legs. Hermione clutched her wand restraining herself from hexing the sadistic bastard where he stood. "You best come with me Ms. Granger." he said, that horrible smirk still plastered upon his brown paper bag face. They walked in silence down the empty corridors. They soon reached the two gargoyle statues that stood guard before the entrance to Dumbledore's office. Filch whispered the password 'butter beer' and the gargoyles leapt aside, revealing a long staircase that lead into the headmaster's office. Filch led the way down the narrow stairway, Mrs Norris straying behind Hermione's feet. Two large golden doors stood at the bottom, two large chocolate frog handles poking out from each.

Mr Filch didn't seem to think it necessary to knock, and instead opened the door and stepped inside, beckoning for Hermione to follow. Very few times had Hermione been inside Dumbledore's office. The shelves were packed with relics and ornaments to the likes Hermione had never seen before, each she gazed upon more peculiar than the last. There were several portraits hanging on the wall. A number of the portraits' occupants appeared to be asleep, and those weren't eyes Hermione curiously.

"Yes, Mr Filch?" Dumbledore's old voice sounded from the desk in the corner.

"I found Miss Granger here By Ron Wesley's _dead_ body, all by her self," Filch turned his head slightly to look in her direction. "_Very_ suspicious if you ask me." Filch alleged, while looking at Hermione with the same sadistic smirk on that greasy face. Dumbledore turned one spectacled eye towards her, his features remaining unfazed by the news, those she was sure she saw an extreme sadness enter those wise eyes.

"Mr. Filch please let me talk with Miss Granger alone please." Dumbledore ordered. At this Filch looked like he had received a million Galleons. He took his time in leaving, parting with one last cruel glance at Hermione. When the two gold doors closed behind him, Dumbledore turned back to Hermione, a look of concern adorning his face. Hermione avoided his gaze, and instead lowered her head and took interest in her shoes.

"What happened, Miss Granger?"

Hermione didn't answer and but kept her eyes fixed upon her shoes, tears gradually starting to trail down her cheeks. She looked up at Dumbledore who was waiting patiently for her answer. Hermione took a sharp intake of breath, and raised her head to stare into Dumbledore's eyes.

"I…" she trailed off. "I went looking for Ron… I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and I ended up in the dungeons where…" she took another sharp breath and swallowed the growing lump in her throat. Dumbledore stared at her, his eyes seeming to bore into her very soul.

"Is that all, Miss Granger?" Hermione thought of the strange envelope she had encountered in the common rooms, addressed to her, and of the peculiar trail of crimson rose petals.

"Yes… that's all."

* * *

**A/N: This chapter was shorter due to the major lack of reviews! Please review, this is my first ever fanfiction and there's no point in me sending it off if no one wants to read it! Please, I need some encouragement, or how else will I have the motivation to write?**

**Anyway, thanks to these people who actually did review my story;**

**LoveOfVegeta,**

**Hollyg20,**

**Dark and dangerous.**

**One final plea; please review!**


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